Under Review

James Pants

Wonder-kid James Pants has emerged from some kind of crazy trip to deliver his latest effort, James Pants. “Clouds Across the Pacific” combines the dreamy vocals of Lucrecia Dalt with pizzicato violin. The result conjures images of ghostly visions. “Screams of Passion” mixes Pants’ ever-menacing vocals with fuzzed-out guitars, creating an almost supernatural sound. There is an overall feeling that something isn’t quite right. If you love David Lynch and Twin Peaks, you’ll appreciate the darker side of this album.

That being said, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Pants’ strength lies in his ability to be a sonic chameleon. He can take a simple riff or vocal pattern and distort it to a point that makes the obvious sound brand new.

A prime example of this is the killer “Every Night I Dream,” which combines a spacey ‘80s back beat, echoed vocals and what sounds like cracking thunder. “Alone” follows in the same vein of tortured, echoed vocals, and somehow incorporates a saxophone into this wonderful mess of a song. James Pants is an innovative album where Pants takes the listener to the point of sonic familiarity before executing a sharp right turn. Highly recommended.